Does my hen want chicks?

[John Silva]

My hen will not leave the nesting box for the past 3 day i dont know why? I collect the eggs but she still lays there. I brought her out to the run so she could eat and she ate a little then right back to her box. I dont know what wrong with her.

 

[Latestarter]

What you are describing is the typical start to a hen going broody. She is following her instincts to sit on, and attempt to hatch, eggs. Depending on her breed (most breeds have had broodiness bred out of them) she may quit on her own, or you may have to force her to quit. There are threads on here about "broody busting" and how to best accomplish it. Or, you could provide her with some fertile eggs and increase your flock size. Some folks would LOVE to have a broody, while others HATE it when their girls go broody. Often times the one, gets the other...

 

[auroaSfarm]

Take a bucket fill it with ice and water and put her bottom half in it for 3-5 minutes and she should stop being broody. It doesn't hurt her at all as long as you keep her there for less than 5 minutes.

 

[auroaSfarm]

Or you can take away her eggs and keep moving her off the nest.

 

[John Silva]

Thanks for the advise

 

[aart]

The ice water dunk is good recipe for medical shock and IMO a drastic last resort.
There is a much more humane and effective way.
Broody Breaker Crate.
but first...
You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

 

[John Silva]

Thanks aart, i have the room for chicks but not ready for that stage yet i am new to rasing chickens ( 5 months new ) my 2 hens and 1 roosters were given to me as as gifts ( must be some Danish tradition i dont know lol) i have a nesting box for each of the ladies but of course they use one. The eggs shes laying on are not her own she hasnt laid any in 3 days?? I have the time to move her outside 3 or 4 times a day i am hoping that does the trick. I have also noticed the rooster is starting to be aggerisive towards her not sure why about that either??

 

[aart]

Broody's don't lay.
Tossing her out of nest multiple times a day might work,
might just prolong the process.
A fake egg in all nests will 'spread the love'.
Broody's act a bit 'different' so may attract some aggressive behavior,
he may just be re-asserting his dominance.
If he's pinning her down and beating her unmercilessly, might want to isolate him.
How old are the birds?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[John Silva]

Im from the states but now live in Denmark the weather here is all over the place lol im sure the chickens are use to it but im not lol The rooster is not being that rough yet im keeping and eye out. Not sure how old they are like i said they were free .

 

[John Silva]

Well an update she is back to normal until the next time around lol thanks all for the advise.